Millions of hospitality industry workers – including most servers and bartenders – rely on tips for a majority of their income. In over a dozen states, tipped bar and restaurant workers earn a minimum wage of just $2.13 an hour. That comes to just over $17 for an eight-hour shift, with the rest of their earnings dictated by the whims of their customers. While the average customer tips between 15% and 20%, some leave much more, and some much less.
Although tipping is not mandatory at most restaurants, the majority of customers do leave a gratuity. According to a report by Toast, a restaurant point of sale and management system, tips at full-service restaurants during the fourth quarter of 2022 averaged 19.6%, while those at quick-service (i.e., fast-food) places averaged 15.9%.
The same report found that in Georgia, the average tip at restaurants is 19.3%, tied for the 16th lowest among states.
As is the case nationwide, Georgia residents are more likely to give higher tips at full-service restaurants than at quick-service establishments. The average tip at a full-service restaurant in the state is 19.9%, compared to 16.3% at quick-service restaurants.
All data in this story is from the Restaurant Trends Report. Data was collected from about 79,000 locations where a tip was added to the order via a card or digital payment. Cash tips are not included in analysis.
| State | Avg. restaurant tip (%) | Avg. full-service restaurant tip (%) | Avg. quick-service restaurant tip (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 19.4 | 20.0 | 16.6 |
| Alaska | 19.6 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Arizona | 19.3 | 20.1 | 15.8 |
| Arkansas | 19.0 | 19.7 | 16.5 |
| California | 17.5 | 18.2 | 15.0 |
| Colorado | 19.9 | 20.6 | 16.9 |
| Connecticut | 19.3 | 19.9 | 14.8 |
| Delaware | 21.8 | 22.5 | 17.8 |
| Florida | 18.3 | 18.6 | 16.2 |
| Georgia | 19.3 | 19.9 | 16.3 |
| Hawaii | 18.7 | 19.2 | 16.6 |
| Idaho | 19.6 | 20.4 | 16.3 |
| Illinois | 19.3 | 19.8 | 15.6 |
| Indiana | 20.8 | 21.3 | 17.1 |
| Iowa | 20.0 | 20.2 | 18.0 |
| Kansas | 19.9 | 20.7 | 15.6 |
| Kentucky | 20.7 | 20.9 | 18.6 |
| Louisiana | 18.8 | 19.3 | 16.5 |
| Maine | 20.3 | 21.2 | 15.9 |
| Maryland | 19.7 | 20.3 | 15.7 |
| Massachusetts | 19.4 | 20.3 | 15.0 |
| Michigan | 20.2 | 20.7 | 16.7 |
| Minnesota | 19.2 | 19.6 | 16.6 |
| Mississippi | 19.1 | 19.5 | 16.5 |
| Missouri | 20.1 | 20.8 | 17.1 |
| Montana | 20.1 | 20.9 | 17.3 |
| Nebraska | 19.9 | 20.4 | 16.8 |
| Nevada | 18.4 | 19.3 | 15.3 |
| New Hampshire | 20.6 | 21.7 | 15.6 |
| New Jersey | 19.0 | 19.7 | 14.6 |
| New Mexico | 18.9 | 20.2 | 14.4 |
| New York | 18.7 | 19.2 | 15.4 |
| North Carolina | 19.6 | 20.1 | 16.7 |
| North Dakota | 19.7 | 20.0 | 18.0 |
| Ohio | 20.6 | 21.0 | 18.3 |
| Oklahoma | 19.2 | 19.9 | 16.0 |
| Oregon | 19.4 | 20.0 | 17.6 |
| Pennsylvania | 20.3 | 20.8 | 16.4 |
| Rhode Island | 20.1 | 20.9 | 15.6 |
| South Carolina | 20.4 | 20.9 | 17.1 |
| South Dakota | 19.4 | 19.9 | 16.9 |
| Tennessee | 19.5 | 20.3 | 16.4 |
| Texas | 18.9 | 19.7 | 15.8 |
| Utah | 19.2 | 20.4 | 15.3 |
| Vermont | 19.5 | 20.1 | 17.3 |
| Virginia | 19.5 | 20.1 | 15.7 |
| Washington | 18.2 | 18.7 | 16.1 |
| West Virginia | 20.6 | 20.9 | 17.8 |
| Wisconsin | 20.3 | 20.6 | 18.4 |
| Wyoming | 20.8 | 21.1 | 18.7 |
Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square
